Project Partner Organisations

The consortium partners – SMEs and research organisations – have come together to develop the PolyTest™ system and promote its use across the polyethylene (PE) piping industry.

M2M

Country: France Business activity: Advanced UT equipment manufacturer

Created in 2003 from the merging of two cultures: research laboratories and small business, M2M offers state-of-the-art phased array systems to meet industrial requirements. It also focuses on innovation and enjoys a strong partnership with the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission) to develop tomorrow’s technologies. M2M is now a team of 42 highly qualified people with skills in electronics, software engineering, and non-destructive testing. M2M also offers support and training services. M2M works with probe manufacturers and integrators to offer packaged solutions.

M2M develops, manufactures and sells phased array systems for non-destructive testing using ultrasound. In ten years, M2M has developed products ranging from massively parallel systems (256+ channels), to portable (Gekko™ instrument) and ‘pocket’ systems. Used worldwide by integrators and inspectors as well as by research laboratories, M2M is widening its market to all NDT operators in the aerospace, metallurgy, oil and gas, power generation and automotive industries. M2M systems come with cutting-edge functionalities like advanced ultrasound imaging, surface adapting ultrasound (SAUL), total focusing methods (TFM), ultra-fast parallel inspections, and smart flexible arrays to meet industrial requirements for production and maintenance inspections.

Currently, M2M sells about 100 ultrasonic instruments per year worldwide. M2M is in competition with large groups such as Olympus and GE. Due to its smaller size, M2M is able to compete with big companies by adapting to situations through innovation. M2M is a company with a strong R&D department, which brings new developments from laboratory level to field applications. Currently, M2M sells several products based on patents:

CIVA modules licences embedded in the M2M software

SAUL (two patents) adaptive system for composite inspection: 12 systems sold worldwide up to now, qualified by Airbus in 2014

Driving with a Multix++ smart flexible transducer (CEA Patents): several systems sold in the world

Palad HY

Country: Israel Business activity: HDPE pipe manufacturer

Palad HY Industries is a leading manufacturer of HDPE and PVC pipes for infrastructure in the northern part of Israel with over 20 years of experience. Its products are used widely in water supply, sewage structures, natural gas distribution systems, and electrical and communication applications.

Palad manufacturing capacity has surpassed 15,000 tonnes of pipes yearly and is projecting over 18,000 tonnes in the near future.

As an industry leader in the region, the company’s technology efforts are based on developing exceptional products with diversity and superior quality, fulfilling and surpassing international and Israeli standards. In addition to international product standards, Palad holds ISO 9001:2008 certification and is certified by all local legislative municipalities.

Palad is strictly committed to its quality assurance policy, backed up by a dedicated laboratory, while maintaining high level of consciousness in regards to the environment by sustaining a lead-free community and paying special attention to various safety standards and policies.

For many years, Palad HY Industries has been supplying its products to several countries in regions including Western and Eastern Europe, South America, and Africa.

Tecnitest

Country: Spain Business activity: NDT Solutions supplier

Tecnitest Ingenieros is a non-destructive testing engineering company (with 20 full time employees and many sub-contractors) developing and marketing the most efficient solutions to particular inspection needs. Tecnitest is located in Madrid (Spain), ideally situated to quickly and efficiently react to its customers’ needs and, moreover, organising presently a wide network of distributors and agents in the main economic areas of the world.

Key managers and employees in Tecnitest have over 25 years of experience in the development and deployment of non-destructive testing (NDT) systems, applications and services in the aviation, power generation, railways and other industry sectors. Tecnitest activity addresses all industrial sectors and comprises all NDT methods, paying special attention to the use of advanced technologies and innovation with a clearly defined goal: optimisation of inspection cost, time and reliability. This activity includes the distribution of a complete range of NDT equipment and accessories, level 3 services and technical advice, training in NDT and development of non-destructive inspection systems.

The main industries served are oil and gas, airlines, automotive manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, wind turbines, train maintenance depots, NDT inspection services companies and foundries. The clients of Tecnitest NDT range across all NDT industries and methods, but they are all looking for the same thing: advanced NDT solutions.

At Tecnitest NDT, design, manufacture, sales and aftercare teams are all under one roof, allowing them to offer a full and inclusive service from application query to execution and beyond. As well as having the whole team under one roof, Tecnitest NDT is made up of highly skilled, NDT-trained personnel.

Tecnitest Ingenieros SL has maintained an efficient quality management system since 2006. It complies with the requirements of standards UNE-EN ISO 9001:2008 and UNE-EN ISO 9001:2008 for the following activities:

•Design and manufacturing of non-destructive testing equipment

•Training and consulting on non-destructive testing

Also, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness has granted Tecnitest the accreditation as Innovative SME.

TWI

Country: UK Business activity: Research organisation

TWI is one of Europe’s largest independent research and technology organisations. Founded in 1946 and based near Cambridge, TWI provides industry with technical support in joining, coating and associated technologies through information, advice and technology transfer; consultancy and project support, contract R&D and training, qualification and personal membership. It is the only single source of expertise in every aspect of joining and coating technology for engineering materials. TWI is internationally renowned for bringing together multidisciplinary teams to implement established or advanced technology or to solve problems arising at any stage – from initial design, materials selection, production and quality assurance, through to service and repair. TWI has over 750 staff and a turnover of 60 million euros. Around 3000 companies and organisations – representing virtually all sectors of manufacturing industry from over 50 countries around the globe – benefit from TWI services.

As PolyTest project lead TWI is responsible for the management and successful development of a TRL9-ready PolyTest system ready to meet industry needs, and a structure that continues to support the equipment beyond the project conclusion.